NBA Basketball: Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 10:00 pm (Moda Center)

TV: NBATV

The Phoenix Suns hope to be one of those teams on the rise in the loaded West after winning just 24 games last year but returning their starting core. Devin Booker proved to be a star in the making after consistently torching teams with his shotmaking, and Marquese Chriss is fresh off making the second-team all-rookie squad. Eric Bledsoe continues to be one of the more underrated point guards in the country when he’s healthy and Josh Jackson was one of the most talented players in last years NBA Draft. The Phoenix Suns have a lot of offensive talent and have shown they can hang with most teams when those shots are falling, but the defensive effort is what’s going to help the Suns turn the corner, if this is going to be that season. Preseason players to watch include Alec Peters, a double-double machine and first-team all Big Ten selection Peter Jok, who had more than 1,500 points and 400 rebounds in his Iowa career.

USA TODAY Sports

The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off a .500 season and hope to get off to a strong start so they won’t have to play one of the best teams in the league come playoff time. The Trail Blazers know how their bread is buttered, as the team goes as far as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum lead the way, but depth would do wonders for Portland. While there weren’t many moves this offseason, a healthy Jusuf Nurkic, improved play from Maurice Harkless and a reenergized Anthony Morrow who knocks down the three ball with consistency would certainly help. The Trail Blazers also have a talented rookie in Zach Collins, who has a great inside outside game and is sure to turn some heads immediately. The Portland Trail Blazers are a fun team to watch, but they have a ceiling until players outside of their backcourt can chip in on a more consistent basis.

The Suns are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games and the over is 6-1 in Suns last 7 overall. The Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall and the over is 4-1-1 in Trail Blazers last 6 overall. The under is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings in Portland and 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

This should be an offensive shootout with neither team great defensively but having a lot of offensive firepower. The difference for me is that the Portland Trail Blazers are a much better team at the Moda Center and shots fall with far more consistency. The Suns will likely have some trouble keeping up, so I like Portland and the reasonable line.

Comments (0)

Activities offered by advertising links to other sites may be deemed an illegal activity in certain jurisdictions. Viewers are specifically warned that they should inquire into the legality of participating in any games and/or activities offered by such other sites. The owner of this website assumes no responsibility for the actions by and makes no representation or endorsement of any of these games and/or activities offered by the advertiser. As a condition of viewing this website viewers agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from the viewer’s participation in any of the games and/or activities offered by the advertiser.
About Us | Advertise with us | Copyright & Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Join our team

Copyright, 2018, Sports Chat Place LLC
All Rights Reserved.

X

Exclusive free picks sent directly to your inbox!

Exclusive free offers just for Sports Chat Place newsletter subscribers!

We never sell, give out, exchange or do anything with your email. We hate spam too!